Related News/Archive

In early 2012, Ward and a small team led a 100 day, 1,000-mile trek from the Everglades to the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge in Southern Georgia.

The goal of the journey was to raise awareness of the need to establish a wildlife corridor along the length of the state. A wildlife corridor is a greenway of mostly undeveloped land sometimes narrow and sometimes wide, which connects our parks, preserves, refuges and national forests.

These green bridges allow shy terrestrial critters such as Florida panthers and black bears to move from wilderness to wilderness.

Florida biologists have been talking about wildlife corridors for more than 25 years. But what has been missing is federal and state recognition of their importance and a mechanism to protect them. A poorly conceived road, golf course or gated community could essentially wall off key wildlife migration routes.

A book of Ward's photographs was released earlier this year, along with a photo exhibition at the Tampa Bay History Center in Tampa. Ward is an eighth-generation Floridian known for his striking photos.